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EFCC Arrests 792 Suspects in One Sting Operation in Lagos

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has carried out its largest single-day operation against cryptocurrency and romance scam networks, arresting 792 suspects in Lagos.

The EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed during a press briefing that the operation, conducted at a seven-storey building known as the Big Leaf Building at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, led to the apprehension of 193 foreign nationals, including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two individuals from Kharzartan, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian.

He said the raid followed months of surveillance and intelligence gathering on the syndicate’s activities.

Uwujaren described the building as designed to mimic a corporate financial headquarters, was allegedly used to train Nigerian recruits in romance and investment scams.

The official said the investigators found the building equipped with high-end desktop computers, and over 500 SIM cards were recovered from just one floor.

He stated that the syndicate reportedly recruited Nigerian youths with advanced computer skills, training them for two weeks on impersonation techniques to target victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Uwujaren explained that the recruits created fake online profiles to lure victims through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram. Once trust was established, victims were directed to a fraudulent investment platform, ‘www.yooto.com’, where activation fees started at $35.

He revealed that the Nigerian recruits were unaware of the full scope of the operation.

“They worked under the supervision of foreign syndicate members and were paid either in cash or through personal accounts without formal employment contracts.

He noted that after securing victims, the recruits were cut off from the operation while the foreign kingpins completed the scams.

The director pointed out that the recovered items included desktop computers, mobile phones, laptops, and vehicles.

He revealed that the EFCC has obtained statements from the suspects and screened their devices, noting that all suspects are being detained under a valid remand warrant, with plans to arraign them in court soon.

Uwujaren highlighted the international nature of the crime, stressing the role of foreign nationals in exploiting Nigeria’s reputation and contributing to global fraud.

“This operation shows that the notion that Nigerians are solely behind these frauds is incorrect. Foreigners are leveraging our unfortunate reputation to establish criminal enterprises,” he said.

“The EFCC is collaborating with foreign partners to ensure that the arrested individuals face justice.

“There will be no hiding places for criminals in Nigeria,” he added.

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242 Passengers, Crew Feared Killed As Air India Enroute London Crashes

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An Air India plane flying to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed in Ahmedabad in western India shortly after take-off on Thursday, the carrier said on Thursday.

A total of 242 passengers were on board the flight, Reuters has reported. All flights out of Ahmedabad have been temporarily suspended, the news agency said.

Citing local police, the Financial Times said the plane crashed “within 10 minutes” of take-off from the airport in Ahmedabad.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said in a post on social media that it was following reports of a crash involving Air India flight AI171.

The plane was a Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-8 Dreamliner, Flightradar24 noted, adding that the first flight of the aircraft was in December 2013 and it was delivered to Air India in January 2014. Shares in Boeing were down by more than 6% in pre-market U.S. trading.

“Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with an vertical speed of -475 feet per minute,” Flightradar24 said in a post on X.

The signal from the aircraft was lost at 10:08 local time, less than a minute after take-off, Flightradar24 said.

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Tinubu’s Loyalist Who Turned Against Him, Jesutega Onokpasa Reported Dead

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A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, Jesutega Onokpasa, has been confirmed dead.

According to TJ News Nigeria, the outspoken APC chieftain, who was also a lawyer and renowned political commentator, died just days after making headlines for vowing to mobilise against President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The exact cause of Jesutega Onokpasa’s death has not been officially disclosed. Family members and party associates have yet to release an official statement regarding burial arrangements.

Multiple sources from social media have however confirmed the sad incident. The Boss has not independently confirmed the story.

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Eight Staff of FMC Abuja to Face Probe over Negligence

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The Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, on Monday, said eight of its staff members, including four doctors, two nurses, and two attendants, are under investigation for alleged negligence at the hospital.

The hospital, which disclosed this at a press briefing, noted that any staff member found guilty of dereliction of duty would be held accountable.

The Head of Clinical Services at the hospital, Dr. Bioku Muftau, added that the accident victims allegedly abandoned by personnel in a trending video on social media have since been treated and discharged.

Our correspondent had on Sunday reported that the Federal Government launched an investigation into a viral video showing alleged neglect of accident victims at the Emergency Unit of the hospital.

The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed victims of a road accident reportedly left unattended by hospital staff after being brought in by a good Samaritan.

The good Samaritan, who recorded the footage, claimed he found the victims on the road and transported them to the hospital for urgent care.

He alleged that hospital staff refused to provide immediate assistance, with one citing a lack of gloves.

Muftau, however, said the patient with head injury in the video that attracted public outrage has been treated, stabilised, and discharged on the same day he was brought into the facility.

He said the findings of the investigation ordered by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, would be made public upon conclusion.

“All the staff who are there on that particular day are going to be investigated. They are up to eight -Nurses, attendants, doctors, all of them will be investigated; for now, they are four doctors, two nurses, two health assistants,” he emphasised.

Muftau also denied reports that the hospital was overwhelmed by the number of patients at the time of the incident, asserting that the facility is adequately staffed to manage patient care

“In terms of being overwhelmed, this hospital is blessed with a lot of staff. As I speak with you, we have over 100 consultants in various specialities. In neurosurgery alone, the sole speciality of surgery, we have three,” he claimed.

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